Close Encounters
by Ann3
Summary: Set five months after Alienated... the aliens are back... and this time they're real... hope you enjoy, please R & R !!


CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net

Summary: Set five months after Alienated… the aliens are back… and this time they're real…

Spoilers : Misdiagnosis Murder, Murder In The Air, Discards, Obsession and Alienated for DM

There But For The Grace Of God, Forever In A Day and Window Of Opportunity for SG1

Reference also made to Wizard of Oz and Independence Day

Disclaimer : The characters for all the above belong to their respective writers, producers and networks

I'm not making any profit from their use here – just teaching Jesse that he has really got to learn to _stop touching things_…

"You know, Jesse, I don't know who's more excited about this trip… you or CJ…" Amanda chuckled, fondly shaking her head as she watched him reading excitedly though the exhibition's programme.

"Hey, Amanda, are you kidding…? I've been wanting to see this thing for ages…!" Jesse enthused, winking down at an equally excited CJ before turning that irrepressible grin back towards her.

"You know, if I hadn't decided to become a doctor, I'd have been…"

"Elgin's answer to Indiana Jones…" Amanda chipped in, finding it impossible not to fondly tease him.

"So you've been saying, at _every_ opportunity, since I picked you up this morning…!"

Pulling a face back at her, Jesse then grinned again as he glanced down at his junior namesake.

"Hey, CJ… reckon I'm annoying your mom…?"

Watching her son nod and grin with the same playful mischief, Amanda then sighed, rolling her eyes.

Inviting Jesse along to this exhibition of historical artefacts _had_ seemed a good idea at the time.

After all, he _did_ have a genuine love of the subject – something which CJ seemed to be developing too.

Now though, watching significant grins being exchanged between them, she wasn't so sure…

In hindsight, perhaps she should have invited Steve along as well, just to keep these two out of trouble.

As though sensing her thoughts, Jesse then glanced at her and grinned that notorious, little boy grin.

"It's okay, mommy… I'll behave…" he assured her, all wide eyed yet highly dubious innocence.

Now more worried than ever, Amanda just rolled her eyes again while looping her arm through his, 

placing her other hand on CJ's shoulder as she steered both of them towards the museum's entrance.

__

Just a nice quiet day out with the kids… she thought, wryly shaking her head again. _Yeah_, _riiight_…

"Just a nice quiet day out, eh, Carter…?" Jack O'Neill muttered, glaring pointedly at his companion.

"_This_ is _your_ idea of a nice quiet day out…?!!!??!?"

Not knowing which was worse to face, the barrage of opposing gunfire or her CO's mocking sarcasm,

Sam Carter just shrugged while slamming another clip into her machine gun.

"I guess our intelligence from the Kantani township was a little… um… dubious, sir…" she ventured,

bracing herself for another volley of both fearsome weapons and equally fearsome wit.

"You _think_…?" O'Neill retorted mildly, turning away to direct that sarcasm towards another victim – so missing the half-relieved, half-sympathising smile which now appeared on Sam's face.

"Speaking of dubious intelligence… Daniel, dial us outta here…! **_Now_** !!!!"

It was at times like these when Dr Daniel Jackson was heartily grateful for his civilian status – 

because if he'd been military, his response to O'Neill would have seen him in a _whole_ lot of trouble. 

As it was, he was merely risking Jack O'Neill's sarcastic wrath… which, when he thought about it…

"What the hell do you _think_ I'm doing…?" he yelled, waving his spare hand around in utter frustration, then hastily retracting it as this prompted yet another round of gunfire from the approaching Jaffa.

"I mean, if you want to come down here and see if you can do better, then by all means…"

It was probably a good thing that the explosions around them drowned out Jack O'Neill's reply.

He was, after all, in female company…

For the benefit of all of them, Daniel slammed his hand with unusual ferocity on the final chevron – waving his hand again, in triumph this time, as the DHD finally glowed into life.

Above him, Kantani's already unstable sun spat an unusually violent flare of energy towards its planet.

And countless miles away, Jesse Travis now stood curiously studying an intriguingly shaped pillar. 

For all Amanda's teasing, he still harboured a deep love for his childhood fascination with history.

As a little boy, he'd wistfully dreamed of becoming an adventurer, fearlessly exploring new worlds.

Twenty years on, that dream was about to come true…

Crouching onto his heels, Jesse leaned forward to try and read the pillar's equally puzzling markings.

They looked oddly like hieroglyphs, yet… no, it was no good, he just couldn't see them clearly.

Maybe if he just brushed some of this dust away…

Amanda hadn't experienced anything like it since Caitlin Sweeney had bombed the hospital.

One minute she was telling CJ about the wonders of ancient Egypt, the next all hell broke loose.

Instinctively shielding CJ from the searing light and noise around her, she searched for its source – 

her confusion and panic turning into all out, terrified horror as she caught a brief glimpse of Jesse,

who seemed to be physically merging with the pulsating blue light that now surrounded him.

Seconds later, the light was gone… and, to her horror, so was Jesse…

Where he'd been standing, only moments before, a jump-suited figure now dazedly shook his head.

Once that head had stopped spinning, Daniel Jackson shook it to clear it while glancing around him – his unfamiliar surroundings, and the wide eyed fear on Amanda Bentley's face, causing him to wince.

"Oh no…" he groaned, removing his glasses to wearily rub at his eyes. "Not _again_…!"

At the opposite end of the galaxy, the SGC's finest were experiencing a few problems of their own.

For one thing, their resident archaeologist had abruptly vanished into a pulsating blue light.

The Jaffa were now even closer, pinning them down under sustained fire from their staff weapons.

And now, just to really round off their day, the Stargate was throwing one almighty wobbly,

its event horizon glowing with the same eerie blue haze that had caused Daniel to disappear.

Little wonder, then, that Jack O'Neill now cast all fears of causing female offence to the wind.

"Damn it, Carter…! What the hell just happened…? Where the hell's Daniel…??!!!!??"

"I don't know, sir…! I just don't know…!" Sam yelled back, struggling to make sense of her readings.

"All I know is something's interfering with the event horizon, and… no, I – I just don't get this…!

Somehow the wormhole's been reversed, and… and there's now an incoming traveller…!"

"Oh, well, that's just peachy…!" O'Neill growled, taking out his frustration on an unwisely near Jaffa.

"Daniel's vanished from the face of this godforsaken planet, the Stargate's gone and blown a fuse… and now we're picking up hitch-hikers…??!!?!"

Before Sam could respond, the hitch-hiker in question came hurtling at high speed through the Gate,

his cries of pain and shock as he cart-wheeled down the steps causing Sam to wince in sympathy.

No stranger herself to painfully violent exits, she knew just how he felt…

Finally ending up in a sprawled heap at the base of the steps, Jesse lay groaning on the ground,

struggling to regain his breath while gingerly testing each limb in turn for damage.

Legs okay, arms sore but not broken, his back aching but, thankfully, again with no serious damage.

His head, though, was another matter… it was pounding with the grandmother of all headaches – 

one not exactly helped by fierce, urgent shouts that set off fresh, painful fireworks around his brain.

"Hey, kid…!! Stay down…! You hear me…??!!? Stay down, kid, **_stay down_**…!!"

Too dazed to understand what was being yelled at him, Jesse cautiously sat up, staring around him – his eyes widening in confused alarm as a flaming bolt of energy seared past him, inches from his head.

Cowering in terror into the sand-dunes beneath him, Jesse instinctively covered his head with his arms, screwing his eyes tightly closed against the volleys of ricocheted dirt that painfully grazed his face.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the volleys of gunfire and thundering explosions died away.

Thunder of a different kind continued to pound inside his chest – loud against the sudden silence,

his heart beating so fiercely that it took real and painful effort for him to catch his breath.

Not sure if he was alive, dead or somewhere in between, he cautiously opened his eyes and looked up, squinting through fierce sunlight into the curious, concerned faces of two complete strangers.

The nearest one, seemingly their leader, now favoured him with a mildly exasperated glare.

"Hey, kid…" he said in a dry, mid western drawl. "See, when I say stay down, I mean _stay_ **_down_**…!"

Still dazed and in total shock, Jesse stared up at him with all the comprehension of a potted plant – 

that confusion only increasing as he looked around him, struggling to make sense of what he saw.

Trees and bushes nearby were still smouldering, while all around him lay broken, bloodied bodies.

Along with the fierce heat from the sun, the stench of blood and death was sickeningly overwhelming.

For all his medical training, it took real effort for him not to roll over and throw up on this guy's boots.

"What…? What happened…?" he finally gasped through a fit of violent, panic-stricken coughing.

"Wh – Who are you…? Where the hell _am_ I…?"

The other stranger, a tall and slender young woman with short blonde hair, now squatted beside him, offering him a gently reassuring smile as she detached a large flask from her belt.

"Here, drink this…" Sam ordered gently, casting a 'cool it… sir…' glare towards her companion.

As Jesse continued to stare fearfully up at them, she tried again to persuade him to trust them.

"It's okay, it's just water… see…? Just water…"

Still wary, even after she'd drank some of its contents herself, Jesse shakily accepted the offered flask, sipping cautiously from it as he tried again to make sense of what he'd just experienced.

His fear and confusion over that experience were so obvious that even Jack now took pity on him,

compelled by another warning glance from Carter to keep any further sarcasm to himself.

Whoever this kid was, wherever he'd come from, he was clearly in shock, still deeply shaken – 

in no fit state to handle, or duly appreciate, the infamous wit of Jack O'Neill. 

Instead, offering Jesse a friendlier grin, he extended a hand towards SG1's newest recruit.

"Jack O'Neill, colonel, head of SG1…" Pausing for a moment, he then added a clarifying afterthought.

"Chicago… planet earth…"

Still confused, but at least assured now of being in human company, Jesse managed a weak grin back.

"Jesse Travis, kinda confused doctor… oh, and – and I'm from planet earth too… Elgin, Illinois…"

"Elgin…?" Jack beamed at him, clearly thrilled by this link back to his old childhood community.

"Hey, we're practically neighbours…!"

Jesse, though, wasn't smiling now as he looked around him once more, at a totally alien landscape.

"Gee, Toto, I guess we're not in Kansas…" he murmured, trying to joke over his mounting alarm.

All kin-ships to neighbourhoods aside, where the hell was he…? How had he got here…?

Hearing this, seeing the fright beyond the boy's humour, Jack gave his arm a gently calming squeeze.

"Hey, forget Kansas, we'll have you back home doctoring before you know it…" he said softly – 

his smile fading too, though, as Carter looked up at him from the DHD, a worried look on her face.

"That might be a problem, sir…" she said quietly, nodding to the jumble of tangled wires in her hand.

Staring too at those wires, Jesse swallowed hard, feeling his legs begin to turn decidedly wobbly.

If not for the speed of Jack's reflexes, he probably would have collapsed on the spot.

Instead he glanced pleadingly in turn between the two grimly concerned faces beside him.

The whys and wherefores of how he'd got here, wherever here was, were still completely beyond him.

But suddenly those questions didn't matter so much as the one that now struck him with brutal force.

How the hell was he meant to get home…?

While maybe not as deadly as the Jaffa, Daniel Jackson was facing quite a fierce barrage himself – mainly from the tall, powerfully built police lieutenant who now stood, hands on hips, in front of him. 

"Okay, Dr Jackson, let's just go over this again…" Steve said at last, barely controlling his temper.

"You're military, but can't say what unit, and you obviously know what's happened to Jesse… 

but it's classified, top secret to the highest level, and so you can't tell me anything more… right…?"

"Believe me, Lieutenant, I wish I could…" Daniel replied quietly, clearly as exasperated as he was.

Glancing around the room, that frustration only grew as his eyes fell on Mark and Amanda – 

the latter close to tears as she clung onto Mark, the eyes of both silently pleading for his help.

His heart went out to these people who so desperately needed answers… answers he couldn't reveal. 

Their friend was missing, someone that each of them clearly loved deeply. But his hands were tied.

Even though he wasn't strictly military, General Hammond had made his duty to the SGC firmly clear.

Apart from those who had top level clearance, the SGC did not exist…

Struck by a sudden thought, Daniel then sat up in his chair, glancing hesitantly up at his interrogator.

"I – I can't promise you anything…" he said at last, anxious not to raise these people's hopes too soon.

"But… well, if I could just make that phone call now… a _private_ phone call…"

Caught by surprise by this sudden co-operation, Steve released a long held breath and finally nodded – his frustration still evident, though, as he left the room, the door slamming behind him.

As Amanda left too, phoning her mother to check on CJ, Daniel glanced up to meet Mark's eyes – 

a gentler blue than those of his son, but still stricken with the same worry for his missing friend.

"Your, um, son and Dr Travis must be very close, Dr Sloan…" he said at last, risking a hesitant smile.

To his surprise, Mark smiled back and nodded – his eyes still troubled, though, as he came to sit down.

"Five months ago, Jess disappeared in… well, circumstances as strange as these…" he replied softly – his voice strained, haunted by traumatic memories of the last time that Jesse had 'gone missing'.

"He'd been overseeing trials for this drugs company and… well, filing negative reports on them…

in their attempts to discredit him, this company arranged to have Jess kidnapped, drugged, tortured,

kept prisoner for five days and hypnotised into believing that he'd been abducted by aliens..."

Pausing to gather his thoughts, Mark then glanced up into the shocked blue eyes of Daniel Jackson – the gentle compassion he found within them another painful reminder of his missing second son.

His voice then grew slightly stronger, finding support in the young archaeologist's obvious concern.

"By the time we found him… well, it was so nearly too late… Jess was close to complete collapse… 

in fact, he was so messed up, both physically and mentally, it took weeks for him to fully recover… 

but yes, you're right, Dr Jackson… Steve and Jesse are… well, closer than most brothers I know… 

they're almost inseparable… and since Steve had gone camping with him when Jesse disappeared…

well, he just felt responsible for what happened to him, even though… well, of course, he wasn't…

Steve still blamed himself though, for not being there to protect Jess when he was clearly in danger… 

he's always been so protective towards Jesse, seeing him as… well, pretty much his little brother… 

but ever since that nightmare five months ago… well, you can imagine…"

To the relief of both of them, Daniel was nodding now, both in sympathy and understanding.

"That must… well, it must have been hard on all of you… but especially your son…" he ventured, smiling his thanks as Mark passed over a mug of welcome, much needed coffee.

"Yes, it was… Steve vowed he'd never let Jess go through anything like that again…" Mark replied, studying his own drink for a moment before looking up again, his voice soft in a final, strained plea.

"We can't go through that again, Dr Jackson… please, if you can help us… we just want him back…" 

Before Daniel could reply, however, the door opened again – admitting a more hopeful looking Steve.

"Okay, you've got your call…" he said briskly, plugging a portable phone into a nearby wall socket.

Waiting for his father to join him at the doorway, he then cast a meaningful glance towards Daniel.

"Take your time, Dr Jackson… just make sure that call counts, okay…?"

Aware now of just how much was riding on that call, Daniel smiled slightly back at him and nodded.

One way or another, he was going to find a way to get Jesse Travis home…

Once the door had closed, he took a deep breath then quickly dialled Hammond's private line.

"General…? Yes, it's me, and… well… um, no… I'm afraid, sir, we have a bit of a situation…"

Jesse's situation at that moment was… well, different to say the least… not to mention terrifying.

The inevitable Jaffa reinforcements had arrived, and now had them pinned down again by the DHD.

Carter had her hands full already, desperately trying to find some alternative way to get them home – her absence from their defence forcing Jack to find some extra firepower… wherever he could find it.

"Hey, kid, can you use a gun…?" he asked, too intent in checking his own to notice Jesse's reaction – fear and horror etched deep on his face as memories of that stand-off with Trask came flooding back.

When Jesse failed to reply, Jack glanced over at him – and experienced his own unsettling déjà vu.

Damn it, the kid was staring at him, just as Daniel had done the first time he'd had to fire a gun.

Prompted by another volley of gunfire, he then thrust a spare zat gun into the young doctor's hands – all too aware that their only hope of staying alive was for this terrified kid to become a killer _real_ fast.

"One shot stuns, the second kills…" he added brusquely, demonstrating on a small posse of Jaffa.

"And if you ever want to get back to LA, kid, I suggest you go for the second option…"

Jesse stared at him, then the gun, then back at O'Neill, clearly horrified by what was expected of him.

He may have been on another planet, but… well, an oath was an oath…

"B – But… I mean, I'm a doctor…!" he protested, staring once more at the lethal weapon in his hands.

"I've taken an oath to save lives, not take them…! I – I can't kill these people…! I just can't…!"

"Believe me, kid, these things are _not_ people…" Jack growled, forcing himself to remain patient.

As Jesse continued to hesitate, he grabbed the boy's shoulder, briskly shaking it to make his point.

"These things are _aliens_, doc… and I don't mean those cute little Martians you see in comicbooks… these things are _real_… and believe me, doc, _their_ doctors wouldn't think twice about killing _you_… 

they're parasites that have enslaved and murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people…

they pose the biggest single threat to our planet in all history, and _we've_ gotta try and stop them…!

I'm sorry if it's gonna break your oath, kid, but it's us or them… make your choice…"

That choice was clearly tearing Jesse Travis apart as he continued to stare at the gun in his hand – 

his instinct to survive a threat to his life crashing against that pledge he'd taken to do no harm.

Finally, as another lethal blast of energy seared past him, he took a deep breath – and fired. Twice.

Alongside him, Jack O'Neill cast his new recruit a sadly reflective smile, as sorry as he was proud.

He'd faced the same ethical challenge with Daniel, when they'd hit their first Goa'uld ambush – 

forcing him into actions that opposed everything the peace-loving scientist believed in. 

Now, as then, he could only encourage a shocked and shaken young doctor as best he could.

"Just do your best, Jesse… like I say, it's us or them…"

Not trusting himself to speak, Jesse simply nodded – clearly stricken as he fired again. Then again.

Still keeping a furtive eye on him, Jack could only hope that Carter got them out of this mess fast – before this poor kid's idealistic innocence was lost forever...

Daniel Jackson had lost his idealistic innocence when his beloved wife had been stolen from him.

Sha're was still lost to him, of course… for good now, and he'd gradually come to accept that.

But if Jesse Travis _was_ still alive, and still free from the Goa'uld, then he _had_ to get him back.

He'd done all he could, trying to convince Hammond that the Sloans posed no threat to the SGC.

The final decision, though, had to come 'under advisement.'

Now he could only wait with the Sloans… wait for that phone to ring with the General's decision – that time spent discreetly studying the three emotionally drained people that sat waiting with him.

The depth of loyalty between these people, their open love for each other, had moved him deeply – making him all the more determined to see them reunited with their missing friend. 

So when that telephone finally came to life, Daniel answered it before it had finished its first ring.

Listening for several moments, frequently nodding, he then closed his eyes and replaced the receiver.

Opening them again, he glanced across at three anxious, expectantly hopeful faces and smiled.

"How quickly can you three get some bags packed…?" 

"Hey, how quickly can you learn to use this…?" Jack asked, passing Sam's staff weapon to Jesse.

Credit where credit was due, he thought, the boy was making one almighty fight to stay alive.

It was still unsettling, though, to see how rapidly he'd become de-sensitised to the carnage around him. 

The gentleness in his eyes, so similar to Danny's, had now been replaced by a cold, steely hardness.

And for all his earlier protests and resistance, the kid was racking up an impressive number of kills – needing only a brief demonstration before, merely nodding, he took this new weapon and began firing.

__

It's the adrenaline… Jack told himself, watching another Jaffa collapse in a pile of fire and sparks.

__

Please, God, let it just be the adrenaline…

There was probably enough adrenaline running through their systems for them to run a marathon – 

but Mark, Steve and Amanda weren't running anywhere.

The only place they were interested in going to was the top secret military base which, they prayed, 

would finally bring Jesse safely back to them. 

Not that they had any chance of finding out where that base was… or even what it was.

A hastily arranged flight brought them to Denver, where an Air Force car was waiting to meet them. 

They were treated courteously enough which, all things considered, came as a pleasant surprise. 

Then again, Daniel saw to that – having a quiet word with their driver while they stowed their bags.

Rather less pleasant were the blindfolds which they'd been made to wear since leaving Denver – although wearing hers during their flight came as second nature to Amanda.

Even so, she was as grateful as Mark and Steve were when Daniel finally gave them a quiet all-clear – 

all three blinking for several moments, regaining their bearings while glancing curiously around them. 

Daniel was still with them – which, given the two armed guards outside their room, was a real comfort.

Within moments of their arrival, the guards stood aside, both saluting their approaching visitor.

Out of sheer instinct, both Steve and Mark stood too, while Amanda remained seated next to Daniel – smiling her thanks for his encouraging squeeze on her hand before he, too, stood to greet his General.

"General Hammond, this is Dr Mark Sloan, his son Steve, and Dr Amanda Bentley…"

"Thank you, Dr Jackson…" Hammond nodded in acknowledgement before turning to face his guests – offering each a heartening smile, trying to put them at ease while gesturing for them to sit down.

"Obviously, we're doing all we can to retrieve Dr Travis and return him to you…" he said gently,

glancing across at Daniel, nodding a go ahead for him to finally answer their inevitable questions.

"Dr Jackson here is in a better position to tell you what may have led to Dr Travis' disappearance…"

"Yes, I think what may have happened is an accidental transference…" Daniel started to explain – swiftly changing from scientist to layman as three haggard faces stared back at him in utter confusion. 

"We're… um… explorers…" he went on, prompted by Hammond's nod to continue more freely.

"And we use this… um, special device to meet new civilizations and… um, explore other planets…"

The more alert of the three, although barely, Steve latched onto that final word with open disbelief.

"_Planets_…??!!?" he echoed, trading glances with an equally dumbfounded Mark and Amanda.

"Let me get this straight, you're telling us that Jesse's on another _planet_…??!!!!?"

"I'm fairly sure, yes…" Daniel nodded, trying hard not to make that reply look or sound too flippant – taking advantage of the disbelieving silence that followed to anticipate as many questions as he could. 

"This device we use, the… um… Stargate, is part of a network of wormholes throughout the galaxy…

rather like a highway, it unites two different points with a means of both contact and… um… travel…

and it provides us with direct, instant access to countless planets throughout our star system…"

"And somehow Jesse's been transported by this _Stargate_ to one of these planets…?" Steve asked,

glancing from Daniel to Hammond with what, all things considered, was a quite remarkable calm.

"Yes, Steve, I think a freak accident has caused me and Jesse to switch places…" Daniel went on – encouraged by another nod, from Steve this time, to go on in more specific, if rather awkward detail.

"I was dialling SG1… um, that's my team… to return here from off world… I mean, this other planet, when this energy surge, possibly from the planet's sun, hit me via the DH… um, dial home device… 

from its age and origin, I'd guess that the device which Jesse was looking at just before he vanished… 

well, it looked very much like a transference device, used to transport people through an active Gate… when Jesse touched it, by a million to one chance, it was at the same time as that solar flare, and…

well, it took Jesse to P3X953 while transporting me back to Earth in his place…"

To his credit, he'd answered pretty much every question that Mark, Steve or Amanda had thought of.

One still remained, though… and after several moments of silence, Mark quietly asked it.

"Well, thank you for that, Daniel… and your openness… but how do we get Jesse _home_…?"

"Yes, you said before that the device Jesse touched was no longer operative…" Amanda chipped in,

not even trying to keep the fear and shock out of her voice as she glanced at Daniel and Hammond.

"Are – Are you saying that he's _stranded_ out there…? You're saying we'll never get Jesse home…?"

"Oh, believe me, Amanda, we'll get him home…" Daniel assured her, drawing her into a gentle hug.

"I know how hollow this must sound, but please trust me… we _will_ get Jesse home…"

Before he could say any more, though, a brisk knock sounded on the door and a technician entered,

nodding a brief greeting to Daniel before he turned to address General Hammond. 

"Excuse me, General, but we've just received word from Teal'c and SG5… they're on their way…"

At this, Mark Steve and Amanda traded tired, puzzled glances before turning to Daniel for guidance – finding new hope in the broad smile that now appeared on the young scientist's face.

"Teal'c is another member of SG1, he was… um, off world on another mission…" Daniel explained, motioning for them to follow as Hammond led them through a maze of corridors to the Gate-room.

"Now that we've managed to contact him through an operative Stargate, we can…"

"You can send him to this P3X953, find Jess and your team and bring them back…?" Steve concluded, clearly happier now that some attempt to find and rescue his friend finally seemed to be under way – 

his earlier cool attitude towards Daniel thawing considerably as the archaeologist grinned and nodded.

"It's going to be rather like a game of musical Stargates…" Daniel went on, shrugging his shoulders.

"With the DHD on P3X953 out of commission, SG5 will open its Gate from their planet, P3X492…

some of the team will remain behind, keeping the Gate open, while Teal'c leads his rescue team out…

once he's found Jesse, Sam and Jack, they'll Gate back here via the working Gate on P3X492…

I'm afraid it's a rather roundabout way of doing things, and getting Jesse home, but…"

"Hey, I don't care how many of these Gates Jess has to go through to get here…" Steve replied softly,

glancing at his father and Amanda, quietly voicing their one shared hope as he met Daniel's eyes.

"We just want him home, Daniel… we just want him home…"

"Well, with any luck, he'll be home in time for breakfast…" Daniel replied, grinning back at them – laughing outright, as everyone did, at the wry warning this drew from Mark.

"Well, in that case, I hope you've plenty of food in…! Our Jesse has _quite_ an appetite…!"

"Still think you'll have me home in time for breakfast…?" Jesse asked softly, glancing across at Jack, before turning wide, fearful eyes back towards the relentlessly advancing lines of Jaffa guards.

Jack had to give the kid credit. Even when faced with what, it now seemed, would be certain death,

he was still facing the horror of what was to come with an albeit morbid sense of humour.

He had guts, too, by the bucketload. Despite a shrapnel wound to his thigh, the kid had kept fighting.

Guts, humour, and a stubborn streak a mile wide – just the qualities that impressed Jack O'Neill.

If they ever got out of this thing alive, Jack was seriously considering recommending him to the team.

Before he could say anything, though, Carter shouted urgently to him from her cover beside the DHD.

"Colonel…! Sir, look…! The Gate, it – it's opening…!"

Sure enough, three of the activation crystals set around the Gate were now pulsing and glowing red. And in spite of the terrible, horrifying danger that still faced him, Jesse couldn't help but be captivated, his eyes rounding like saucers as he watched this massive ancient monument seemingly come to life. 

"Wow…!" he breathed, totally enthralled as the event horizon whooshed outwards in a watery plume, before rushing back again, looking for all the world like a luxuriously deep, rippling swimming pool.

Of course, all this was routine to him, but Jack had to smile at the wide eyed wonder on the boy's face.

Oh yes, he could grow real attached to this kid…

That smile widened to an all out, delighted yell as the identity of their inbound travellers became clear. 

"Yo, guys…! Teal'c…! Yeah, you guys go get 'em…!"

Watching all this in utter confusion, Jesse had been about to ask whose side the new arrivals were on – 

Jack O'Neill's broad grin and recognition of their matching uniforms pretty much settling that query.

"Well, kid, now that the cavalry's here, there's just one thing I need to ask you…" he said at last – 

having to raise his voice above the sounds of battle as Teal'c and SG5 swung into action.

Loving the boy's puzzled frown, one that reminded him so much of Charlie, he then added dryly,

"How'd you like your eggs…?"

"You know, these eggs are nearly as good as ours at Bob's…" Steve mused, grinning up at his father. 

"So I'd noticed…" his father smiled, noting in relieved approval that his son had emptied his plate.

With Jesse's rescue now under way, he'd gratefully accepted Hammond's advice to get some rest – Mark's insistence that they should all try and manage something to eat met with united agreement.

To the surprise of all three, they'd managed to clear four laden trayfuls of breakfast between them – 

cereal, bacon and eggs disappearing in short order, washed down by two large flasks of coffee.

Now, as Amanda studiously stacked three emptied plates onto their tray, Daniel came to their table – the broad smile on his face telling them all they needed to know…

By the time they arrived, at an all out run, at the Gate-room, the room itself was pretty crowded.

Armed units lined the walls, their unsettling array of weapons trained on the now open Stargate.

Between them, General Hammond greeted his guests with a tense but still encouraging nod, 

while a petite, dark haired young doctor waited in calm readiness nearby with her medical team.

While reassured by her obvious expertise, Mark, Steve and Amanda couldn't help but look worried.

They'd not heard anything to suggest it, but was Jesse hurt…? More worrying still, was he…?

Seeing their renewed alarm, Daniel moved quickly to try and reassure them.

"It's okay, Mark, this is… um, standard procedure whenever a team returns…" he said gently, gesturing towards Janet Fraiser and her team with what, he hoped, was a convincing smile.

"And even if Jesse _has_ been injured… well, Janet's the best there is…"

Mark and the others smiled back and nodded, genuinely appreciating Daniel's words of support.

Even so, he would only believe those words of gentle encouragement when he saw Jesse for himself.

And he could guess from their still tense expressions that Steve and Amanda felt the same way.

"Come on, Jess…" Mark whispered, glancing hopefully once more towards that shimmering circle – slipping an arm around Steve and Amanda's shoulders as they watched and waited for Jesse's return.

"Come on, son, you've got to make it home…!"

"Okay, kids, show's over… let's go home…!" Jack O'Neill yelled, calling his team back to re-group.

As the first members of SG5 began stepping back through the Gate, Jack turned to Jesse and grinned – finding it hard not to laugh at the mixture of excitement, curiosity and uncertainty on the kid's face.

"Hey, Jesse… ever been on Space Mountain…?" he asked, gently coaxing Jesse onto his feet – 

keeping his arm wrapped protectively around him, half carrying the exhausted boy towards the Gate. 

"Ye – es…" Jesse nodded, his widely rounded eyes still fixed on the massive structure before him. 

He offered no resistance as Jack gently took his hand and lifted it, before extending his arm outwards, brushing the tips of Jesse's fingers through the rippling circle, trying to reassure and encourage him.

"Well, this is just _waaaaaay_ better…!" Jack went on, still grinning as he called over to Teal'c.

"Hey, Teal'c…! Come on, tell my kid here how this thing beats the pants off Space Mountain…!"

Eager to hear all the assurances he could, Jesse glanced towards this intriguingly named Teal'c – 

his wide, astonished eyes travelling up… and up… and up…

"Awww, yeah…" Jack went on, loving the wonder on the kid's face as he made belated introductions. "Sorry, forgot my manners in all the excitement… Teal'c, Jesse Travis… Jesse, this is… uh, Teal'c…" 

As Teal'c smiled and bowed a greeting to the still dumbstruck Jesse, Jack returned to the point in hand.

"Hey, it is, though, isn't it, Teal'c…? This trip is just way better than Space Mountain…?!!!?"

As so often happened, Teal'c didn't have the remotest idea of what Jack O'Neill was talking about.

Despite working so closely alongside him, he still struggled to understand the colonel's _many_ quirks.

He'd soon learned, though, that the best way to deal with such situations was through a single word.

"Indeed…" he said at last, wisely leaving it at that as he turned to address the tiny human before him.

"It is good to meet you, JesseTravis…"

"Y – Yeah, uh… you too… and – and it's Jesse, you can… um, just call me Jesse…" Jesse stammered, offering this towering figure a nervous grin while curiously studying the gold tattoo on his forehead. Jeez, this guy made even Steve look like a seven stone weakling !

Yet for all his size, there was an innate gentleness with which Teal'c now smiled and bowed his head, 

prompting a much easier smile from Jesse as Jack offered a further insight into the quirks of a Jaffa.

"Awww, yeah, that whole business with names…?" he said at last, casting Jesse a reassuring wink.

"It's okay, kid, he does that to everyone, it's… well, see, it's kinda like a Jaffa thing…"

Raising an eyebrow, but knowing better than to retaliate, Teal'c simply nodded while turning to Jesse.

"After you, JesseTravis…"

Grateful for the two supportive arms that now settled around him, Jesse took a deep steadying breath – closing his eyes, offering a silent prayer as he was gently walked forward into God alone knew what…

For the past twenty one hours, Mark, Steve and Amanda had silently prayed for Jesse's safe return.

Now, in a sudden rush of activity, those prayers were finally answered.

True, it was difficult to pick him out among the mass of green-suited figures that surrounded him.

But a brief glimpse of tousled blond hair and that familiar green check shirt was all Steve needed.

"Jess…! _Jesse_…!" he breathed, already rushing forward, Mark and Amanda right alongside him – 

and George Hammond just didn't have the heart or, he knew, the right, to call these people back.

Instead he motioned for his teams to move out of their way, giving them clear passage up the ramp – 

sharing a broad smile with Daniel as Jesse disappeared once more, into a threeway hug of utter joy.

Already disoriented from what, as Jack had promised, had been one _hell_ of a ride, Jesse frowned –

dazedly shaking his head, trying to focus oddly uncooperative eyes on three blurry faces around him.

One seemed closer than the others… its voice odd, though – as if it had come through a long tunnel.

It was a familiar voice too, soothingly assuring him that he was safe now… that he was safely home…

"S – Steve…?" he murmured, not sure if the figure who was hugging him so tightly was real or not.

He sure _felt_ real, and sounded like Steve… but the way his head was spinning, it was hard to be sure…

Warned by the faintness in Jesse's voice, the blankness in his eyes, Mark quickly stepped back – urgently motioning for Steve and Amanda to do the same to give their young friend space to breathe. 

"Easy, Jess… it's okay, you're home now…" Steve soothed him, still holding Jesse in a gentle hug – not knowing whether to be amused or alarmed by his young friend's utterly dishevelled appearance.

The green check shirt, one of Jesse's favourites, was now little more than rags covering his body – 

a body covered, to Steve's mounting alarm, in equal measures of bloodstains, bruises and dirt.

"My God, Jesse…! What the hell have you been up to out there…??!!?" 

Staring curiously down at himself, Jesse then glanced back at Steve and shrugged his shoulders, looking for all the world like a little boy about to face the riot act from an anxious parent. 

"Shooting at aliens…" he murmured – whatever he planned to say next lost in a vague mumble,

his eyes sliding shut, his knees buckling as Jesse collapsed into Steve's arms in a dead faint.

"It's alright, Steve… he's okay, he's just fainted…" Mark assured his anxiously horrified son, 

smiling reassuringly back at him as he and Amanda knelt at Jesse's side, gently checking him over.

Janet Fraiser was there too now, her medical team already carefully lifting Jesse onto their gurney.

Respecting her authority, Mark and Amanda moved away, allowing her to take charge of her patient – both remaining nearby as she completed her examination, Steve watching anxiously over her shoulder.

Jesse was already stirring restlessly under Steve's hand, which came as a great relief to all of them.

The discovery of his injured thigh, though, prompted a more urgent retreat back down the ramp – 

Mark, Steve and Amanda hurrying alongside while Fraiser briskly but calmly reported to Hammond. "Shrapnel wound, sir… pretty nasty, but it doesn't look to be too serious…"

As Hammond nodded, Fraiser then turned to direct her team in the same briskly efficient voice.

"Okay, let's get him to the Infirmary… you too, SG1… and _don't_ look at me like that, Colonel…

you know the procedure as well as I do… now come on, let's move…!"

Pulling a face back at her, Jack then shrugged and grudgingly fell in behind as the party moved out – Fraiser on one side of the gurney, constantly checking her patient while Steve took the opposite side,

holding onto Jesse's hand, soothingly encouraging him as they hurried along the corridor.

He'd done the same thing not so long ago, of course… chasing a gurney through a long corridor…

Still, at least this time he could feel Jesse weakly squeezing his hand, in gratitude for his presence – 

that gratitude extending to a faint smile as Jesse opened his eyes and grinned drowsily up at him.

And no one was going to break that precious contact between them… not even a military doctor.

Fortunately, Janet Fraiser had already guessed that _nothing_ was going to dislodge Steve Sloan – offering him instead a friendly, understanding smile as she led the way into the Infirmary.

Just as they'd done in the Gate-room, Mark and Amanda again yielded to Fraiser's authority.

Besides, with so much activity around Jesse's bed, there was really only room left there now for Steve.

And it was pretty obvious to everyone in the Infirmary that he wasn't going anywhere.

Assured that Jesse was now in expert hands, they moved instead to join O'Neill at a nearby bunk – briefly introducing themselves to him and the rest of his team, before all eyes turned back to Jesse.

"That's one hell of a kid you have there, doc…" Jack said at last, admiring approval clear in his voice.

"I mean, considering what he's been through, what he saw back there… he's one gutsy little fella…"

"He is that…" Mark agreed proudly, still watching Jesse before casting O'Neill a grateful smile.

"We can't thank you enough, Colonel… for getting him home… bringing him back to us…"

Returning the smile, Jack shrugged and nodded… his smile, though, not quite touching his eyes.

Mark had noticed this too – his quizzical look prompting a rather more serious response from O'Neill, regret settling over his face as he remembered the sacred oath that Jesse had been forced to break.

"Things were pretty ugly for him, doc… we were under attack, fighting for our lives…" he said at last,

offering Mark an unusually awkward smile before casting another concerned glance towards Jesse.

"And I know that pledge he took was to preserve life, not take it, but… well, we had no choice, doc…

neither did Jesse… like I said, we were fighting for our lives… it was kill or be killed…"

As Mark nodded, clearly shaken by this revelation, Jack felt honour bound to add a gentle warning. 

"You'd better keep a close eye on him for a while… like I said, a _lot_ happened to him out there…"

To his surprise, Mark was smiling now, very proudly, as he glanced once more towards Jesse's bed.

"Thanks for that, Colonel… but Jess will be just fine…" he said at last, nodding towards his son, 

still stationed faithfully at Jesse's shoulder, gently encouraging him while Janet worked on his leg. 

"Whatever he went through back there, whatever he was forced to do, Steve will get him through it…"

"Yeah, I'd imagine he will…" Jack agreed, happier too now as he checked out the kid's progress.

That progress appeared to be so good that Jack decided it was safe to lighten the mood a little.

"Hey, doc…! How come you don't smile at me like that when _I_ get shot…?" he asked peevishly. 

"The only time you smile at me is when you're ramming some hulking great needle in my butt…!!"

"Because, Colonel, you're not this tolerant, and certainly not this co-operative…" Janet retorted – clearly not fooled for a moment by Jack O'Neill's wounded, miffed expression as she added dryly,

"You're not this cute either… or nearly as adorable…"

"Hey…! I am _too_ cute and adorable…!" Jack protested, turning that same plaintive expression on Sam.

"Hey, Carter…! Tell Doc Savage there how cute and adorable I am…!"

"Well, I would, sir, but… well, she seems rather busy at the moment…" Sam replied smoothly – leading Daniel and Teal'c in a strategic retreat towards the door before O'Neill could protest further.

"Traitors…!" he muttered after them, turning back to a now helplessly laughing Mark and Amanda. 

"You see what I have to put up with here…? For cryin' out loud, no wonder I'm going grey…!"

"If it's any consolation, Colonel, I've always found grey hair _very_ attractive…" Amanda chipped in, 

finding it impossible not to laugh again as Jack beamed at her, light-heartedly preening.

Before he could make the most of this accolade, though, Janet Fraiser came over to join them – 

offering both Mark and Amanda a reassuring smile as she removed her gloves.

"Well, he's needed quite a few stitches in that leg wound, and he's pretty sleepy from the meds… 

but he's still awake and asking for you… better hurry, though, he won't stay that way for long…"

Nodding their thanks, an openly relieved Mark and Amanda headed eagerly towards Jesse's bed – neither surprised in the slightest when Jack O'Neill followed them to check on his new recruit.

In the face of a life or death battle, it was clear that a very special friendship had been forged – 

O'Neill's playful ruffle of Jesse's hair, and the drowsy grin he received in return, told them that.

And while the colonel's warning still worried him, Mark pushed that worry to the back of his mind.

He knew that difficult questions still lay ahead while Jesse came to terms with what he'd had to do. But for now Mark was happy just to stand at Jesse's bedside, secure in the knowledge that he was safe.

Rather bruised and battered, of course, and clearly exhausted by his ordeal… but he was safe. Alive.

As Mark had wryly anticipated, he was also stubbornly refusing to yield to that crushing tiredness – 

struggling instead to stay awake, determined to tell them about his incredible experience.

Appealing as that sleepy resistance was, though, Mark knew his young friend desperately needed rest.

Now all he had to do was persuade Jesse to take it – which, as he knew, was never an easy task.

Wryly wondering if Janet Fraiser knew how to make up a Mickey Finn, he then turned back to Jesse – 

taking his hand, stroking his hair straight while dropping his voice to a soft, persuasive lilt.

"I know, Jess, you've had quite an adventure…" he said at last, still stroking Jesse's temple – 

using both his voice and the soothing comfort of touch to gently coax his young friend to sleep.

"And yes, son, I know you can't wait to tell us about it… but you can do that in the morning, Jesse…

for now though, son, you really need to sleep… it's okay, we'll be staying right here with you…

it's alright, you're safe… you're home now, Jess… and you can tell us all about it tomorrow…

but get some sleep now… that's it, Jesse… that's it, son, close your eyes now… just go to sleep…"

If he'd not been a doctor, then Mark Sloan would have made a pretty impressive hypnotist – 

the persuasive softness of his voice, the comfort of its familiarity, gradually coaxing Jesse to obey.

After one last stubborn flicker of resistance, his eyes finally closed, his head lolling onto Mark's hand, trapping it beneath his cheek as Jesse fell instantly into a deep, sedated sleep. 

Waiting until he'd completely settled, Mark carefully freed his hand and looked round at the others – noting in some amusement that his hypnotist's voice had worked quite effectively on them too.

Amanda was out on her feet, while Steve was in real danger of falling off the edge of Jesse's bed.

Even Jack O'Neill was finding it hard not to yawn as his own tiredness began to catch up with him. Seeing this, Janet Fraiser then cast Mark an amused, admiring smile while nodding towards Jack.

"That's quite a technique you have there, doctor…" she said at last, adding with a mischievous grin, "You'll have to teach it to me… it would come in _real_ handy around here…!"

"Yeah, so would a doctor with a decent bedside manner…!" Jack shot back, pulling a face at her.

Clearly used to these bantering insults, Janet simply shrugged while making one last check on Jesse.

Once sure that he was as warm and comfortable as possible, she then turned to the others and smiled. 

"With those meds, and your technique, Dr Sloan, he should sleep now, for at least twenty hours… 

and I suggest you get some rest too… don't worry, we'll be taking really good care of him…"

Mark smiled back, watching in amused approval as two nurses continued to gently tend to Jesse. 

His young friend had clearly made quite an impression on them… and was clearly in _very_ good hands.

"I'm sure you will, Dr Fraiser… and thanks again for everything you've done…" he said at last,

giving Jesse's shoulder one final gentle pat before turning his attention to Steve and Amanda.

"Come on, honey… you too, Steve… let's follow the good doctor's advice and get some sleep…"

While Amanda nodded, all too ready to crawl into a nice cosy bed, Steve remained reluctant to leave.

"You go ahead, dad…" he said at last, glancing down to where Jesse now lay curled against his side.

"I'll stay here with Jess for a little while longer before I turn in, just in case… well, you know… 

just in case he wakes up and wonders where he is…"

Already anticipating this reaction, Mark just smiled and nodded while gently patting Steve's shoulder.

"Okay, son, stay here if you want… I'll… um… see you when you turn in… okay…?" he said at last – waiting until Steve grinned back and nodded his agreement before he re-joined Jack and Amanda. 

That nod of agreement, he knew, counted for nothing… his son had no intention of 'turning in…'

Three hours later, with still no sign of Steve, Mark headed instinctively back to the Infirmary –

any intention he'd had for reading his son a fatherly riot act vanishing as he caught sight of Steve. Sprawled out on a spare bunk next to Jesse, his son was snoring loudly – clearly _very_ soundly asleep.

Oh no, he thought, wryly shaking his head as he came to stand beside Steve's bunk, this wasn't fair.

How could you chastise your son, when that son just looked so cute all tucked up asleep ?

On seeing him approach, seeing the fond amusement on his face, Janet Fraiser grinned back at him.

"He finally crashed out about two hours ago…" she explained softly, joining him at Steve's bunk.

Glancing to where Jesse, too, lay blissfully lost to the world, the grin then mischievously widened.

"Actually it's been quite entertaining… for the past hour they've been holding a snoring contest…

it's been pretty close, but in terms of noise and variety, I think Steve's just sneaked ahead…"

"Yes, that sounds like my boys… you name it, they'll make a contest out of it…" Mark chuckled,

wincing slightly as the noise levels, on both sides, increased as though in subconscious agreement.

Before he could say any more, however, Jack O'Neill came sauntering into the Infirmary – 

his eyes widening slightly as he glanced in surprise between one bunk and the other.

"The last time I heard snoring that loud was from a whole platoon of Marines…!" he said at last,

making a show of trying to cover his ears while he came to join them, glancing quizzically at Jesse. 

"How can something so small, so _apparently_ adorable and so skinny produce so much noise…??!!?"

"You know, Colonel, after all these years of knowing him, I'm still not sure myself…" Mark replied, returning that look with one of equal rueful puzzlement before casting Jesse an openly fond smile.

"Yes, this boy of mine really is something else… one of these days I might finally figure out what…!" 

"You _think_…?" Jack retorted dryly, turning more serious as he watched Janet checking her patient, making some adjustments to Jesse's IV and recording his temperature before noting his chart.

"Hey, doc… how's he doing…?"

"Just fine, Colonel…" Janet assured him, both for his benefit and Mark's as she completed her checks. "He was running a slight fever when you first brought him in, probably from that shrapnel wound… 

but the antibiotics I've given him have already brought that fever down… no, he's doing well…

a few more days rest for that leg to heal and he'll be up and about again, good as new…"

As Janet left to make a record of her notes, Jack caught sight of Mark's smile and glanced at him – guessing from his expression that a convalescing Jesse Travis was going to be quite a handful.

"How worried should I be, doc…?" he asked at last, nodding in quizzical concern towards Jesse.

"Should I shut down the base as a precaution…? Call in reinforcements…? The National Guard…?"

Laughing now, Mark thought for a moment – returning Jack's grin with one of equal mischief.

"Well, he shouldn't cause you _that_ much trouble… Steve will see to that…" he replied, still laughing. 

"But whatever your food and coffee supply is, I suggest you double… no, better still, _triple_ it…"

"I'll be sure to warn the General…" Jack promised him dryly, pouring himself some fresh coffee.

Pouring another mug for Mark, both then settled into chairs between Steve and Jesse's bunks – 

each enjoying this chance to relax and unwind after an extremely stressful day.

"You know, this has to be my favourite part of the day…" Mark said at last, grinning over at Jack – that grin growing even wider as he nodded to where his boys lay in now thankfully quieter sleep.

"Another day over, everything as it should be… and the kids safely tucked up in bed…"

Of course, he couldn't have known the full, real reason behind Jack O'Neill's contented smile.

"Yeah, I know what you mean…" Jack said at last, grinning now as he nodded in happy agreement.

"Yeah, doc… you're right, it's a _great_ feeling…"

Mark woke late the next morning, refreshed after an undisturbed night of much needed sleep.

Glancing around, he found the bunk bed beside his still unslept in… its covers not even turned down.

Shaking his head, Mark then smiled – dressing quickly before checking in next door on Amanda. 

Finding her still sleeping, Mark gently tucked her in before heading once more for the Infirmary.

Jesse, unsurprisingly, was still soundly asleep, curled up in a huddle of blankets against Steve's side – clearly finding the solid warmth of that side a lot more comfy than a pile of military-issue pillows.

Steve was already awake, though, working his way through a plateful of rapidly disappearing toast.

"Hey, dad…" he greeted, grinning while nodding towards the softly snoring bundle beside him.

"Well, this has to be a first… I'm actually getting to eat my breakfast without Jess hijacking it…!" 

"Yes, well, make the most of it, son…" Mark chuckled, helping himself to a small slice of toast. 

"Remember, Jess will have _two days_ worth of eating to catch up on when he wakes up…!"

"Yeah, that's true…" Steve nodded, frowning slightly then grinning as he glanced back at his father.

"You _have_ warned them, haven't you…?"

"It's gone to General Hammond himself…" his father chuckled, watching Jesse for a moment before, remembering Steve's excuse to stay with his friend the previous night, he added innocently,

"So, um… did Jesse wake up last night after all, as you predicted…?"

"Well, no…" Steve admitted, realising that his father had caught him hook line and sinker.

Pulling a face back at his shrewdly grinning father, he then frowned as he glanced down at Jesse.

"He _was_ pretty restless, though… muttering something in his sleep about aliens and parasites…

Dr Fraiser thought it was from the slight fever he was running earlier…"

Seeing the concern on his father's face, Steve's frown then deepened into one of puzzled alarm.

"Dad…? What is it…What's wrong…?" 

"I think I know what Jesse must have been dreaming about…" Mark replied quietly, frowning also – realising that Jesse must have been re-living that awful choice of kill or be killed.

Seeing the concern mount in Steve's eyes, he then sighed – choosing his next words with great care.

"Colonel O'Neill was telling me earlier that he and Jess were under fierce attack from these aliens…

in having to defend themselves, Jesse had to shoot them… kill them, before he himself got killed…"

Steve's eyes widened, staring at his father in shocked dismay, before those eyes fell back to Jesse. 

"Oh, my God…" he whispered, clearly shaken as the full extent of Jesse's ordeal became clear.

No one knew more than he did how fervently Jesse lived by that oath he'd taken to do no harm – 

how being forced to commit mass murder, even to save his own life, was going to affect him.

"Oh God, dad, this – this is going to tear Jess apart…!" Steve said at last, staring back at his father.

"I mean, talking him round after he shot Trask was hard enough, but _this_…!" 

Wishing he could offer his son more than a sadly understanding smile, Mark then sighed and nodded.

"I know, son… I know…" he replied softly, reaching to gently brush Jesse's hair back from his eyes. 

For now, Jesse didn't have a care in the world – but how long would that joy at his rescue last…?

Those same concerns were still niggling at Jack O'Neill as he briefed Hammond on Jesse's progress – prompting a quick visit to the Infirmary for another progress check once that briefing was over.

When Janet Fraiser met him outside, her serious expression told him all he needed to know.

"We were just talking things over when it suddenly hit him…" she reported, sadly shaking his head.

"He became so upset and agitated that I had to call Dr Sloan and Steve to come and calm him down…

it's hit him hard though, Jack… really hard…"

"Damn…!" O'Neill muttered, wincing in sympathy and concern for what the kid was going through.

"How's he doing now…? Can I see him…?"

As he'd expected, Janet was already shaking her head while smiling sympathetically back at him.

"Well, the Sloans and Dr Bentley are still in there with him… and he's certainly a lot calmer, but… well no, I'm sorry, Jack… I really think it best for them to try and talk Jesse through this… 

he really needs to be with people he knows and trusts right now… people he feels at ease with…"

Already nodding his understanding, Jack then sighed, glancing past her into the Infirmary.

Through its dimness, he could just make out Jesse – a pale and vulnerable figure, sitting up in his bed.

Steve sat at one shoulder, Mark at the other, with Amanda perched neatly on the side of his bunk – leaning forward now to run a soothing hand down the side of Jesse's face.

In spite of his concern, Jack felt some of that unease start to lift a little as he watched Jesse's reaction – a still shaky but typically gutsy, determined nod as Steve drew him into a protective, comforting hug.

As he continued to watch, he then smiled slightly – remembering what Mark had said to him earlier.

He'd promised that the kid would be okay… that his big brother, his family, would see him through.

Watching Jesse settle trustingly into that big brother's arms, Jack O'Neill suddenly felt a lot happier – meeting Janet Fraiser's smile with an approving nod as she quietly closed the door behind them.

The doc was right. With family like this to support him, that gutsy little kid was going to be just fine…

Not wanting to disturb the vital healing of that family, Jack stayed tactfully clear – leaving them to it.

Not that he'd admit to it, of course – he'd never hear the end of it if he did – but Janet was right.

Jesse needed his family around him now… people he felt at ease with as he recovered from his ordeal.

Besides, to see him right now would only remind the boy of the very thing he needed to forget.

By mid evening, though, anxious to find out how 'his kid' was faring, he returned to the Infirmary – 

its now re-opened door, and the sound of laughter from Jesse's bunk, a promising sign…

Dr Sloan and Amanda were now gone but, as he'd expected, Steve Sloan was still there at Jesse's side.

Jack felt himself smile as he watched them from the doorway, joking through a game of cards.

These two were brothers, alright… not in blood-name, of course, but… oh yes, they were brothers…

On noticing him, Jesse grinned and waved a friendly greeting, beckoning for him to come over.

Although Steve's smile was rather more reserved, it grew wider and warmer as Jack joined them – gratitude clear in his eyes as he rose from his chair and extended his hand.

"I've not really had much chance to say this, Colonel…" Steve said at last, glancing fondly at Jesse.

"But thank you for bringing this little lunatic back to us… even if he _is_ taking me to the cleaners…!!" 

"Hey, don't mention it…" Jack grinned back, wincing in amused sympathy as he studied their game.

Judging by the smug grin on Jesse's face, and the resigned expression on the face of his opponent,

that already impressive pile of matchsticks on Jesse's side of the table looked set to grow even larger.

Of course, he thought wryly, with a cherubic face like his, it was no surprise the kid was winning.

But it was Jesse's eyes that drew Jack's attention now, causing his smile to widen in private relief.

They were the gentle, compassionate eyes of a doctor again – not those of a reluctant, terrified killer.

There was a wicked glint of mischief in them too, reminding him of Mark's light hearted warning.

Maybe calling those reinforcements in wouldn't be such a bad idea after all…

For now, though, it was clearly Steve Sloan who needed help as he resignedly laid out his cards – 

his face turning even more rueful as he watched Jesse gleefully lay out yet another winning hand.

Casting a baleful glare towards his grinning friend, Steve then sighed and drew the cards back again, shaking his head while Jesse added yet more matchsticks to his kitty. 

"Here, Colonel, you go ahead and try your luck with Babyface Travis here…" he muttered dryly, straightening and reshuffling them before passing the restored deck to a clearly surprised O'Neill.

"Be warned, though… he'll take you for every matchstick you've got…!!"

Feeling a little guilty that he'd intruded, Jack frowned slightly as he glanced from one to the other.

"You're, um… well, sure you don't want to try and win some of them back…" he asked uncertainly – 

finding it impossible not to grin, though, as Steve shot him a wry glance of pure scepticism.

"Yeah, _right_…" he chuckled, turning slightly more serious again though as he shrugged his shoulders.

"No, really, Colonel, you go ahead… I guess you and Jess have some things to talk about anyway… besides I need to have a rather long chat myself with Dr Jackson…"

"You _do_…?!!?" Jack's eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise, before his wicked streak took over.

"Why, what's our Danny boy been up to now…? You need to arrest him…???!!!?"

Well, no… not that I know of…" Steve replied, grinning too as he entered into the colonel's teasing.

"Why…? Is there something about Dr Jackson that I should know about…??!!?"

"Well, no… not that I know of…" Jack admitted, neatly copying the teasing tone of Steve's question.

"But give me a coupla hours… I'm sure I can come up with something…"

"Yes, I'm sure you can…" Steve chuckled, turning his attention back to another master of mischief.

"Now Jess, _behave_… be nice to the Colonel… and try to let him win just _one_ hand, okay…??!?"

Gently ruffling Jesse's hair, he cast Jack a final 'good luck' grin before leaving him to his Fate.

Oddly enough, he didn't have to go far to find Daniel – the archaeologist met him in the doorway, 

greeting him with a friendly if rather concerned smile as he gestured towards SG1's unofficial recruit.

"Your, um, father told me about Jesse… I was just coming down to see how he is…" he explained, frowning slightly at sight of Jack O'Neill seated beside Jesse's bunk, studying a hand of cards.

His friend and CO could, he knew, see off Goa'uld attacks and system lords without batting an eyelid. 

But Jack O'Neill couldn't play cards to save his life…

"Thanks for that, Daniel… that's really good of you… and Jesse's doing just fine…" Steve replied, slightly awkward though in spite of his relieved smile as he sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I owe you an apology, though, for the way I acted towards you back there when… well, you know… I was angry and worried about Jesse, but that's no excuse… I shouldn't have taken it out on you…"

"Hey, forget it, Steve… really, there's no need…" Daniel assured him, waving his apology away.

"Your dad told me what happened five months ago, and… believe me, I know how you feel…

if I'd been in your shoes after facing a nightmare like that, I'd have felt exactly the same way…"

With that settled, both now turned back just in time to see O'Neill resignedly toss down his cards.

"Yep…" Steve grinned, laughing out loud as Jesse happily raked in yet another pile of matchsticks.

"I think I can safely say that Jesse's doing _just_ fine…!"

Jesse continued to make a rapid and, to everyone's relief, untroubled recovery from his ordeal – 

so much so that Janet Fraiser was soon experiencing a bit of an ordeal herself.

Treating him hadn't been a problem… in fact she'd grown increasingly fond of her 'adorable' charge.

He'd been quite a hit with her nurses too – replacing Daniel as their favourite, most popular patient.

Keeping that adorable patient in bed, though… well, that was proving another matter entirely.

Now, as she and Amanda scoured the corridors, Janet turned to her companion and rolled her eyes. 

"What was I thinking, giving him that wheelchair…?" she muttered, ruefully shaking her head.

"The way he was speeding around the Infirmary this morning, he could be anywhere !!"

Fortunately, her companion had familiar knowledge over where their elusive patient would be.

"Don't worry, Janet…" Amanda replied with a grin, shrewdly tapping the side of her nose.

"I know _exactly_ where he'll be…!" 

It was a given, of course. There was only one place that a recuperating Jesse Travis _could_ be…

Sure enough, there he was… sitting with Jack and Steve, being cooed over by the female staff – 

and happily eating the SGC commissary out of its budget.

Sensing the approach of his amused, if rather exasperated doctor, Jesse responded as only he could – 

big blue eyes, an expression of utter innocence – and a smile that could have melted the North Pole. 

And once Amanda caved in under that irresistible expression, it was impossible for Janet not to join in.

"Well now, Dr Travis, I can safely say that you're fit to be medically released…" she said at last – 

laughing too much to be offended as Jesse's eyes lit up like beacons, his grin growing even wider.

She would be sorry to see him freed from her care… yet part of her would be wearily grateful too – 

relieved that the responsibility for keeping that mischievous energy in check now fell to someone else. 

And seeing how close they'd become, she'd already guessed who that unsuspecting someone was.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG1's brave and fearless leader, was about to face his toughest challenge…

By the end of that day, that brave and fearless leader had a few more grey hairs to add to his name.

He'd thought Daniel's curiosity was insatiable – not to mention damn irritating – but Jesse's…

jeez, when it came to touching things and asking questions, this kid beat Danny boy hands down !

Every inch of the base, from supply rooms to its laboratories, was eagerly and inquisitively explored.

An entire afternoon was spent in Daniel's office, enviously studying shelf upon shelf of history books.

And when Jack told his young charge about the time he'd made the longest golf shot _ever_…

well, he wished he could open the Gate up, just to let the openly yearning kid try and equal it.

It was the Gate-room, though, that inevitably generated the most interest – and the most trouble.

"Hey, what does _this_ do…?" Jesse asked eagerly, reaching towards an especially intriguing switch.

Narrowly averting the premature launch of a waiting MALP, Jack then glanced up at Mark and Steve – 

breathing a sigh of utter relief as big brother took charge of what was clearly a _very_ familiar situation.

"_Jess_…" he sighed, patiently indicating his friend's hands and where he should now put them. 

Pulling a rueful face back at him, Jesse then shrugged while burrowing his hands deeply in his pockets. 

Even with those mayhem-causing hands out of bounds, though, the barrage of questions continued.

The only time he stayed quiet long enough to stop asking those questions was when he was eating – hence the strange, but unopposed, regularity with which Jack took him to 'catch a quick bite'.

It wasn't just the food commissary that was soon experiencing an unusually sharp drop in its supplies.

The SGC's general store was also feeling the effects of its unexpected, souvenir-mad guest.

With, Jack assured them, Hammond's full permission – although Mark had _serious_ doubts about that – 

a set of fatigues, mugs, the inevitable baseball cap and even several pens all strangely 'disappeared'. 

Now, as they helped Jesse pack his 'souvenirs', Steve glanced at his father and rolled his eyes. 

"We should have brought him a bigger case…" he observed dryly, ruefully shaking his head.

"Hey, you're just jealous 'cos you don't have a set of _these_…!" Jesse shot back, glaring back at him – soon smiling again, though, as he proudly shook out his latest acquisition.

"Towels…?" Steve demanded – dreading to think what his scavenging friend was like in a hotel room.

"You're leaving a top secret military base with a whole set of their _towels_…??!!!!?"

As Jesse nodded happily, and Mark burst out laughing, Steve just rolled his eyes again and gave up – hastily packing those towels away before anyone from that military base realised they were missing.

Beyond all the humour, though, and Jesse's delight at going home, lay the inevitable regret of leaving.

SG1, and its leader especially, were also sorry to see the departure of their 'unofficial' team-mate.

They saw him off in style, though… a send off that left Jesse, and the others too, visibly moved.

Spontaneous applause greeted him, while lines of guards briskly saluted their acknowledgement – 

a bewildered glance over his shoulder to Mark, Steve and Amanda met with equally puzzled shrugs.

Judging by the broad smile of greeting on Jack O'Neill's face, and quick winks from Sam and Daniel, 

they clearly knew the reasons for this unexpectedly grand reception.

General Hammond was clearly in on it too, offering Jesse a reassuring, proudly approving smile.

"Dr Jesse Travis… front and centre…" he said at last, giving the young doctor a gently guiding nod. 

Still clearly confused, but not daring to question an Air Force general, Jesse did as he was told.

From their own experience in the military, both Mark and Steve now knew what was coming – 

both offering their still puzzled friend a reassuring smile, nodding their encouragement.

Assured now that at least he wasn't in any _serious_ trouble, Jesse turned back to face Jack O'Neill.

Despite the solemnity of the occasion, Jack couldn't resist a quick wink as he stepped forward – accepting and returning Sam Carter's salute before taking from her a long, official looking box.

For Jesse, the penny finally dropped – prompting a rather hasty, self conscious hand through his hair.

Jeez, he thought, throwing a rueful glance over his T shirt and jeans, talk about being underdressed ! 

If he'd known _this_ was going to happen, he'd have hired a suit ! Or at least worn his souvenir fatigues !

Hard pressed now not to laugh at the kid's obvious embarrassment, Jack then opened the box – growing more serious, though, as he took out its contents with all the pride and reverence it deserved.

"In recognition of great courage under enemy fire, under exceptional circumstances…" he said at last, letting that broad, proud smile reappear as he pinned a small medal onto the front of Jesse's shirt.

"It is my honour and privilege to present this civilian commendation for valor to Dr Jesse Travis…"

Jesse had watched this incredible honour unfold with wide, astonished eyes – not sure if it was real.

A slight pricking against his chest, and Jack O'Neill's apologetic shrug, assured him that it was.

And when he saw where that honour had come from, those eyes threatened to fall right out of his head.

Seeing this, loving the look of utter shock on the kid's face, Jack nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. 

"Great guy… and _I've_ seen where he lives… real nice little place, very… _white_…" 

Jesse grinned back, composed enough now to enjoy the proud applause that again broke around him.

Needless to say, the loudest applause, and the first proud hugs, came from Mark, Steve and Amanda.

And when SG1 took their turns to hug him goodbye, the tightest hug of all came from Jack O'Neill…

After what they'd just been through, their movie on the flight home didn't hold that much appeal.

Besides, as far as Mark and Amanda were concerned, the double act from the seats between theirs

was far more entertaining than watching Will Smith flatten an ugly alien back into its spaceship.

"Hey, Steve…?"

"What is it, Jess…?"

"Does a civilian commendation for valor outrank a police lieutenant…?"

"No, Jesse, it doesn't…"

"Awwww…"

A pause, followed by the inevitable, questioning follow up.

"Not even when that commendation comes from the President…? As in P-R-E-S…"

"Thanks, Jess, I know how to spell it… and the answer's still no…"

"You're sure…?"

"Yes, Jesse, I'm sure… _quite_ sure…"

"Awwww… see, 'cos he signed it himself… _in person_…"

"I know that, Jess… just as I know that if you don't stop grinning, stop talking and stop bugging me,

I'll be teaching you how to parachute… _in person_…"

As peaceful silence, broken only by Amanda's stifled giggles, blessedly descended on row 3B, 

Mark leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, a smile of wry pride spreading across his face.

If, God forbid, the Goa'uld ever _did_ manage to slip past SG1's defences, he had the perfect alternative. 

Pitted against these two boys of his, those aliens wouldn't stand a _chance_…


End file.
